Another winter storm brought accumulating snow, primarily to northern Utah, though limited warning criteria amounts were reported. Additionally, a second avalanche fatality for the month is noted.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS SLC wrote it up.
Another winter storm brought accumulating snow, primarily to northern Utah, though limited warning criteria amounts were reported. Additionally, a second avalanche fatality for the month is noted.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Salt Lake City, UT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 25, 2:57 PM MST, 11 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 357 PM MDT Sat Mar 25 2023 .SYNOPSIS...Snow showers are forecast through the weekend across northern Utah and southwest Wyoming as low pressure to the north continues to impact the region. A brief break in the weather is expected late Monday into Tuesday before increasing southwest flow brings another moist storm system into the area for the middle of next week. && .SHORT TERM (Through 12Z/6AM Monday)...Upper air analysis and water vapor imagery show a broad mid-level low extending from Colorado northwestward into south-central Wyoming. Farther upstream, another low can be seen dropping southeastward to near Boise as of 3PM MDT. Both features are helping to maintain modest cyclonic flow across northern Utah and SW Wyoming. When combined with ~100J/kg of SBCAPE and steep low to mid-level lapse rates, an environment favorable for scattered, convectively-driven snow showers and graupel is in place across northern Utah and SW Wyoming. Indeed, recent radar, satellite and surface observation trends confirm this. While the duration of this activity will be limited over any one location, can't rule out briefly heavy precipitation rates. Recently, the Evanston ASOS recorded 1/4 mile visibility with heavy snow under one of the more robust showers. Similarly poor conditions will be consistent with heavier activity later this afternoon and early evening. Reduced visibility and perhaps some brief, local slick spots (particularly after sunset if any wet surfaces are able to freeze before drying) will be the primary impacts with this activity. CAMs are in good agreement showing a gradual decline in intensity and coverage of shower activity through the evening. The break in the action is rather short-lived, however. Model consensus then brings the upstream wave over SW Idaho into SE Idaho by Sunday morning. This low is then expected to linger in this general area through Monday morning. The low will enhance the cyclonic flow across the area as well as send several shortwaves across northern Utah and SW Wyoming. First batch of snow showers shown on the HREF mean associated with the lead shortwave develop between 2AM and 4AM tonight across the Wasatch north of I-80 and then expand across the Bear River Range, Cache Valley, SW Wyoming, Wastach south of I-80 and the western Uintas through Sunday morning. A relatively new feature of this forecast is an band of enhanced frontogenesis associated with a southward advancing cold front Sunday afternoon/evening. Widespread snow showers associated with this boundary are expected to continue to expand southward along the central and southern mountains and adjacent valleys through the day. Instability profile and thermal structure of the atmosphere look similar to what is in place across northern Utah this afternoon, so would expect a similar look and feel, with brief but locally heavy snow showers, especially from late afternoon through early evening. Difference will be activity will extend much farther south when compared to today. 25.12Z deterministic models indicate another relatively new forecast feature, and that is a trailing wave dropping south across northern Utah and SW Wyoming Sunday night into Monday morning. This feature now intersects the tail-end of the CAM forecast time range, and majority of CAMs show snow showers dropping southward across the Wasatch Front late Sunday night into early Monday morning, with a 30-40% chance for 1"/hr snowfall rates. There does appear to be some characteristics of a lake- enhanced band present in the model reflectivity fields, and soundings do indicate steep lapse rates, plentiful moisture and sufficient lift in the DGZ combined with up to 900J/kg of lake- induced CAPE -- all features consistent with a a healthy lake enhanced event. Will need to monitor this feature closely, because if the current forecast verifies it would result in Monday morning commute impacts across the Wasatch Front. Upper end of the forecast distribution is concerning, with NBM 24-hr snowfall probabilities at from 5PM to 5PM indicating a 6% chance of >6" and 4% chance of >8" at KSLC. Most likely scenario is 2" during this time frame, but a worst case scenario represented by the upper end of the distribution represents what a heavier, more stationary lake enhanced band might be capable of producing. With any lake effect/lake enhanced activity, confidence in the what, where, when and how much details are low, and the forecast outcome is sensitive to many small-scale features aligning just right, and large differences in snowfall totals over short distances are common with these features. This uncertainty is well-represented on the flip side, with a 48% chance that no snow falls at all in the same period. If it snows, heavy snow can't be ruled out. We'll continue to refine these probabilities as we get closer. Otherwise, temperatures through the period will continue to be more reminiscent of January rather than late March across Utah and SW Wyoming with high temperatures continuing to run ~20 degrees below normal. .LONG TERM (After 12Z/6AM Sunday)...The extended forecast period remains mostly unchanged with a brief clearing and quiet day on Monday before the effects of the next large scale trough begin to effect the area on Tuesday. This storm is expected to have a Wednesday arrival for precipitation and lasting into Friday morning with some quiet weather to end the extended period. As the current longwave trough pattern lifts to our east we see winds shift to zonal/northwesterly flow overhead. This will bring about a short lived ridging pattern allowing for some slight clearing over parts of the CWA on Monday. The next trough that has its origins from the far NW part of CONUS will already be amplifying off the west coast and as it enters the Great Basin region will drive some warmer air from the south into the area that will warm the CWA slightly ahead of the precip. With warmer temperatures on Tuesday we also expect stronger winds ahead of the troughs baroclinic zone with the strongest winds peaking Tuesday evening into the overnight hours as the system amplifies across the region. Model guidance has decreased on the wind threat with peak values coming in the mid to upper 30s (mph) as models have had more agreement on the overall amplitude and depth of this trough. The large scale trough is expected to drive in warmer temperatures for valley floors which will likely limit snowfall amounts below 6000 ft. across Utah. The warm atmospheric river type event will much like many others this winter setup the storm with sufficient moisture with its synoptic forcing that will produce substantial snowfall across many high elevation areas. The Wednesday morning arrival could coincide with the work commute but overall impacts, primarily for valleys will likely be locally driven as it'll be depends on that areas ability to hold onto the warmer temperatures and produce rain rather than snow. The trough axis will be through the CWA by Friday, bringing northwesterly flow and some continued orographics over the northern and central Wasatch before drying up by midday. Friday afternoon and into the weekend we look to move into a ridging pattern with uncertainty growing beyond this but overall guidance favoring the continuation of winter weather and adding to our record snowpack! && .AVIATION...KSLC...Scattered snow showers will last through around 03Z, with snow chances decreasing overnight. Northwest winds will transition to southeast around 04Z. Largely dry conditions are likely through 12Z, with scattered snow showers from 12-15Z. Scattered snow showers are likely from 20-03Z. Any snow shower could drop conditions into MVFR range briefly, but VFR conditions will prevail. .REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Scattered snow showers will diminish into the evening in southwest Wyoming and northern Utah with dry conditions throughout southern Utah. Mostly dry conditions will last through the overnight, but scattered snow showers are expected throughout southwest Wyoming and northern Utah much of the day. Scattered snow showers are likely from 18-03Z in southern Utah. VFR conditions will prevail, but could lower into MVFR range with any snow shower. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...None. WY...None. && ADeSmet/Selbig/Wilson For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow, 1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
A combination of COOP and CoCoRaHS observer reports included snowfall amounts of 6.0 inches in South Ogden, 10.0 inches at 1 NE Layton, and 15.0 inches in Layton.
Several SNOTEL stations including Pineview Dam, Hardscrabble, and Parrish Creek recorded 1.7 to 3.1 inches of snow water equivalent, resulting in approximately 20 to 36 inches of snow.
At some time between approximately 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm Monday 3/27, a large avalanche in the Pole Canyon area of the southern Oquirrh Mountains resulted in the full burial of a snowmobiler. A second snowmobiler who was not buried was able to call for emergency services, and search and rescue began soon thereafter for the buried snowmobiler. The buried snowmobiler was equipped with a beacon, and by 8:48 pm the body of the deceased 38-year-old man was recovered under approximately 13.2 feet of snow. The buried avalanche victim had deployed an avalanche airbag, but the airbag was deflated when the victim was found. This large avalanche was reported to have a fracture line 4250 feet wide, traveling a horizontal distance of 1.26 miles (2360 vertical feet downhill).
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Great Salt Lake Desert and Mountains | 2023-03-27 | 38 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, March 2023
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1088831, 1088834, 1088836.